Har Pal Mein Shanti (25th and 26th September) – A session on Mindfulness Practices was organised by Ahimsa Trust  for the RTC Bondsi, Haryana Police on 25th & 26th September 2021.The main objectives of this session was ‘Har Pal Mein Shanti’.Learning to ‘Stop and Pause’ in the midst of our daily activities with an aim to develop the capability to handle anxiety and stress that are obstacles to clarity of the mind and hence to achieving our objectives in life. These practices are beneficial in personal and professional settings, enabling trainees to live a more peaceful and productive life by carrying out their duties in a more mindful manner.

The session contents included:

• Interaction with Ustaads
• Eating Meditation
• Walking Meditation
• What does it mean to be Present?
• Learning to STOP!
• Bells of Mindfulness
• Stop! Breathe & Smilev Awareness of Listening Patterns
• Deep Body Relaxation v Questions & Answers.

IMPACT & ACHIEVEMENTS

• The greatest impact was made during the practice of Walking Meditation. The recruits were surprised as to how quickly it was possible to calm the mind and bring it to focus. ‘Man halka lag raha hain, badan halka lag raha hai’ were remarks that were heard during the interaction. The recruits even invited us to stay for the next 15 days for them to continue this practice of Walking Meditation!
• Creating clarity through stories: The recruits related to the stories and anecdotes which made the made the teaching easy to grasp. The meaning of Mindfulness and the importance of ‘being present’ were explained through visualization that is inherent in stories.
• Guided Meditation & Deep Body Relaxation, both practices were well received. For most of the participants these practices were a first-time experience and many were relaxed enough to fall asleep during both these activities! Deep relaxation and focusing on one’s in-breath and out-breath during meditation, are practice-oriented and the introductory session of stories and talks set the tone.
• Q & A: The recruits raised relevant questions for the Question & Answer session, which reflected that they had been listening intently. Having anonymous questions ensured that the recruits did not feel inhibited to raise their doubts. A list of their questions is attached at the end of the report.
• The impact was palpable at the Question & Answer session, when the personal stories shared by the Ahimsa Trainers which made the participants realise that no extra time is needed for meditation; that Mindfulness practices can be applied in daily life, in order to keep one’s balance during moments of emotional turbulence. This then helped to challenge the view held by the recruits and Ustaads that this session on Mindfulness was mere theory.
• Interaction with Ustaads: The interaction with the Ustaads an evening before the session with the recruits was a good way of breaking the ice before the main session the next day. The Ustads spoke freely of their work pressure and of family responsibilities, some expressing that they would think of meditation after retirement! This view was gently challenged during the main session as the Ahimsa trainers spoke of their experiences in applying the various practices.
• Two phrases that made a mark were: ‘Neend, Bhook aur Gussa, jitna barhaoge utna barhega’ and ‘Jitna Abhyas: Utni Jagrukta: Utna Saiyyam.’
• Posters: regarding Mindful Consumption created in Hindi and gifted by Ahimsa on the Five Contemplations were appreciated by the authorities.

SOME QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE RECRUITS

1. What can be done to capture the attention of children in the age group of 10-17 years? (Chotte baccho ka dhyan lagane ke liye kya kare – umar 10-17 saal?)
2. Can the mind be used to cure illness? What is the connection between mind and interest? (Man ke dwara rogo ko dur kiya ja sakta hai? Man aur ruchi ka kya sambandh hai?)
3. Whenever I try to concentrate, my mind is drawn towards thinking about indecent things? (Jab bhi dhyan lagane ki koshish karta hoon toh asheel cheezo ki taraf dhyan zyada jata hai?)
4. Share some real life experiences of how to implement? More examples like the three golden breaths.
5. What are the things to keep in mind to get ahead in life? (Apne jeevan main aage badhne ke liye kin baataon ka dhyan rakhna chahiye ?)
6. Is it correct to pick faults in people? (Kya doosre ki galtiyan nikal lena theek hai ya nahin?)
7. While talking is it alright to interrupt somebody? (Baatchhet ke doraan beech main bolna chahiye?)
8. If it is important to listen to other people, is it important to listen to oneself as well? (Logon ko sun na toh zaroori hain, kya apne aap ko bhi sunna zaroori hai? )
9. How to deal with a relationship when it ends.

1. Cultivating Mindfulness (25th June to 8th August) – An online 8 week course attended by 40 officers of the CRPF from Jammu and Kashmir where sessions were held on a weekly basis.
2. ‘A Cloud Never Dies’ (8th to 10th January 2020), Welham Boys School, Dehradun
   44 CRPF jawans Jammu and Kashmir participated in this 3 day session which was conducted with Hindi translation. It was led by monastics from Plum village and lay teachers of Ahimsa Trust.

1. ‘Refresher on Mindfulness’ (11th to 12th of October 2019) for 40 CRPF jawans and officers at Shiv Nadar School, Noida, India

1. ‘Peace in oneself, Peace in the World’ (7th to 9th September 2018), Group Centre, CRPF, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India 120 officers and police personnel were trained for 3 days on mindfulness practices by the Ahimsa teachers and monastics. They in turn went back to their battalions and trained 6000 soldiers. Video footage of the men practicing mindfulness is available.
2. “Protecting and Serving” (1st to 3rd June 2018), Group Centre, CRPF, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India In May 2018, the Inspector General of the CRPF, Ms Charu Sinha got in touch with the Trust requesting mindfulness workshops for her officers and police personnel. The Trust responded immediately and four core group members visited Muzaffarpur in Bihar and held a 3 day session for 39 police officers. The feedback from the retreat was extremely positive and a follow up retreat was requested.

1. ‘Be Still and Know’ (13th -15th October 2017), Welham Boys School, Dehradun, India. At the workshop conducted at Welham Boys School there were a total of 173 people who attended. Among them were 17 police officers. The response from the police was especially encouraging and Ahimsa Trust has been asked to conduct sessions at their Police lines in Dehradun.
2. “This Moment is full of Wonder” (2nd September 2018)Dehradun, India A full day of mindfulness was organised with 30 police personnel, both men and women